The late Flt Lt JJ Rawlings during his youthful military days

There are places in Ghana that tell historic stories through their lands, minerals, and resources. One such place is the Afram Plains.

Often seen merely as a vast agricultural zone in the Eastern Region, it is more than just a stretch of arable land.

To the late former President Jerry John Rawlings, the Afram Plains represented a national symbol of resilience, character, beauty, and nature.

According to him, the Afram Plains were more than geography; they embodied serenity and stood as a testament to peace.

As Ghana continues to grapple with agricultural modernisation and sustainable land use, Rawlings' words have resurfaced as both a warning and a challenge to the country.

Speaking passionately about the Afram Plains in his youthful military days, Flt Lt Rawlings once urged Ghanaians to approach the country's development not just as a farming exercise, but as a national mission.

“Give us something in a few years’ time, so you know what the Afram Plains are. Let it be a testimony, a reflection of a new kind of people, people who moved into a new land, explored it, and built it,” he said.

For Rawlings, this was not just a call to plant crops, but a passionate appeal to cultivate a lasting legacy.

Drawing from personal experience, he reminded the crowd that he had worked the land himself, operating tractors and using ploughs on the tough terrain.

"Menuanom... for those of you who are going to be working on the grounds and ploughing the fields, please watch out. I know the Afram Plains well. I’ve done tractor work before, used ploughs, and I know how easily chains snap when you hit stumps,” he added.

Rawlings ended his speech with a call to action for those preparing the land: “So, please, for those who are supposed to be doing the land clearing... take it seriously.”

Watch the video of JJ Rawlings below:

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